Elise
by My Wonky Socks
Summary: An unexpected phone call throws Jess' world into chaos and brings her into the life of a very special little girl. Based off of Formspring RP, Dedicated to saresare for her help and talking me into writing it. Jesker established.
1. Chapter 1 Phone Call

**Chapter 1. Phone Call**

Jess was hurrying around her flat trying to get ready for work when her phone rang. She grabbed the phone off the dresser with one hand, and began pulling her shoes on with the other.

"Hello," she said breathlessly.

"Is this Jessica Parker?" a male voice asked.

"Yes…who is this?" she asked, nobody called her Jessica anymore, even to Burton and Lester it was Jess.

"Xavier," the man replied.

Jess dropped the phone in shock, and quickly hurried to pick it back up.

"Xavier…it's been awhile." she said.

Over ten years to be exact, Xavier, was her brother, he'd been troubled and left home when he was sixteen, they hadn't heard from him again after that…until today.

"Yeah…I know." he replied hesitantly.

"How have you been?" she asked, sliding her coat on with one hand then switching the phone to the other ear.

"I've been alright, I got married a few years ago…" he was cut off by Jess' outburst.

"Married! Wow! Congratulations!"

"Thanks, actually that's part of the reason I'm calling…my wife, Chantelle, was killed two days ago…and Jessica, we have a daughter, Elise, she's five…I need help."

"Of course, where are you even living now?" she asked.

"New York City." he replied.

"Okay, I'll get a flight out as soon as I can."

"Thank you Jessica."

She hung up and grabbed a suitcase out of the closet while dialing another number.

"Captain Becker."

"Becker, it's Jess, can you tell Lester I won't be at work for a few days?"

"Jess, what's wrong?" he asked, voice sounding mildly panicked.

"My brother just called, his wife was killed and I'm flying out to New York." she explained hurriedly, throwing clothes in her suitcase.

"I didn't know you had a brother." he replied.

"Yes, well until today he'd been estranged for the last ten years." she sighed.

"Jess…I'm not sure I like the idea of you going out there alone, why don't you let me come with you?"

"You don't have to do that Becker, besides Lester won't hear of us both leaving."

"I'm not giving him a choice, just book two tickets, use the credit card I gave you." he said.

"Alright. And Becker, thank you."

"Of course, I love you and I'll see you soon." he replied.

"Love you too." she said before disconnecting.

She'd barely gotten the tickets booked and the rest of her things packed before Becker was knocking on the door.

"Hey!" she said opening up, "Wow you're fast!"

He gave her a quick hug, "Yes, well I wasn't sure how soon the flight would be."

"Well I managed to get us on the next one out, which leaves in two hours." she replied.

"Then we should get going," he said, grabbing her bags from beside the door.

* * *

She called Xavier as soon as they'd landed and were off the plane.

"Xay, it's Jess, we just landed."

"We?"

She'd forgotten she hadn't mentioned Becker before now.

"Yeah, my boyfriend is with me." she said glancing over to where Becker stood at the car rental station.

"Right…okay, we're at New York Presbyterian Hospital, eighth floor," he said.

Jess' brow furrowed in confusion, "Why are you at the hospital?"

"Elise," he said quietly.

"Xay, why didn't you tell me she was hurt sooner?" she exclaimed.

"I didn't want to panic you sooner than necessary."

"Right…well we're leaving the airport now, we'll be there soon."

"Alright, and Jess, thank you."

"Of course," she said before disconnecting with a sigh. The day just kept getting weirder and weirder.

"Ready?" Becker asked, coming over with a car key in hand and grabbing their luggage.

"I can help carry that, you know."

"Not while you're traveling with me you can't," he said with a small smile, "So where are we going?"

"New York Presbyterian Hospital, eighth floor, children's wing." she rattled off. "Apparently, Elise is hurt and Xavier didn't see the need to tell me until now."

Becker was silent, but she could tell by his expression he was uncomfortable with the situation they were going into.

* * *

She laced her fingers through Becker's as they followed the nurse to Elise's room. She was incredibly nervous, she was about to see the brother she hadn't seen in ten years and meet the niece she hadn't known existed. Becker squeezed her hand reassuringly and she was suddenly incredibly thankful for his presence.

"Xavier," she said quietly as they entered the room.

He turned and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw her, "Jessica?"

She smiled slightly, "Yeah, Xay, it's me."

He came over and hugged her, "Wow, you look great!" he said with a weak laugh.

"Thanks, oh Xavier this is my boyfriend Becker," she said.

"It's nice to meet you," Becker said extending a hand, which Xavier shook, wincing slightly as he retracted his hand. Becker sometimes forgot he wasn't dealing with his soldiers.

Jess caught sight of two big, brown eyes watching her curiously from the bed, and walked over smiling.

"You must be Elise," she said, smiling.

Elise nodded shyly.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm your Aunt Jess."

"Ni…nice to m…meet you." she said nervously.

"You don't have to be nervous, I don't bite, promise." Jess said leaning down and hugging her.

Elise hugged her back weakly, "Who's he?" she asked, eyes fixed over Jess' shoulder.

"That's my boyfriend, Becker," she said, waving him over.

"Hi Elise," he said with a small smile.

"You're tall," she said.

Jess left Becker with Elise and went into the hall with Xavier.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She tried to run when Chantelle was shot, apparently they didn't want witnesses so they shot Elise too, the bullet hit her spine, and she's paralyzed from the waist down." Xavier said, his voice breaking slightly by the end.

Jess' hand shot to her mouth, then she hugged Xavier tightly, "She'll recover though, right?"

"The doctors…they don't…know."

"Xavier, I'm so sorry."

"Don't…say that. This…all of it…is my fault." he said, his voice sounded dead.

"What are you talking about Xavier?"

"I…I messed up…got involved in things that got Chantelle killed and my daughter to where may never walk again. That's why I called you, I need you to do something for me Jess."

"What?"

"I need you to take care of Elise…I…can't anymore…it's not safe for her."

"Xavier, what are you talking about? What's going on?"

"Elise needs a family, security, neither of which I can give her anymore, but you and Becker can. I'm sorry Jess, I know this is a lot to ask…but it has to be this way. Tell Eli, I love her and I'm sorry."

And with that Xavier disappeared down the hall, leaving Jess staring after him stunned and confused.


	2. Chapter 2 I'm Just Like You

**Chapter 2. I'm Just Like You**

Jess looked back at the hospital room, having no idea how to handle what she was about to have to do. She walked back to the room and saw that Elise had fallen asleep, Becker was leaning against the wall watching the door, he smiled when he saw her, but that quickly faded when he saw her expression.

He quickly strode forward and enveloped her in a hug, he of course had no idea what was wrong, just that she was upset. She buried her head in his chest, drinking in the comfort that she knew would only last until they broke apart.

"What happened?" he asked, arms still holding her tightly.

Jess pulled back just enough to look up at him, without leaving the confines of his arms.

"Xavier's gone, he…he abandoned her, said she needed someone who could provide a real family for her and keep her safe…that he couldn't do that anymore." she explained, her voice shaky, "He wants us to take her in." she said the last part with her tone barely above a whisper.

Becker's eyes widened "U…Us?" he stammered.

"Yes," she said quietly.

He nodded slowly "Jess are you ready for that? For being a mother?" he asked studying her.

"I can't abandon her, Becker, I can't!" she cried, closing her eyes briefly, she knew how that felt.

"Okay, alright," Becker said hugging her close again.

* * *

Jess was sitting next to Elise's bed when she finally woke up, and began looking around groggily.

"Jess, where's daddy?" she asked finally fixing her big brown eyes on her.

Her eyes briefly met Becker's, who gave her a slight nod of encouragement. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before reaching forward and taking Elise's hands in hers. It was the same thing her mother had done when she'd told Jess her father had walked out.

"Elise, your dad, Xavier…he left."

"Well I figured that out when he wasn't here, but when will he be back?" she inquired.

She squeezed Elise's hands gently, "Elise…Xavier is pretty upset after what happened to you and your momma, and he needs some time to get his head together, so he asked if Becker and I would take care of you for awhile."

Elise's eyes quickly began brimming with tears, "He…doesn't…want me…anymore?" she asked through choked sobs.

"No, no, that's not it at all!" she exclaimed, hugging Elise tightly, "He just needs some time to sort things out."

She didn't respond, but her sobs just got harder. Jess was reminded so strongly of the day her mother had told she and Xavier their father had left, she'd been six at the time.

"_Doesn't daddy love us anymore?" She'd asked, her blue eyes filling with tears._

"_Yes of course he does, he's just taking a little vacation. He'll come back."_

She'd spent years waiting for that day, and it had never come. Afterwards her mother had taken up drinking, and then been killed after getting behind the wheel drunk, she'd been twelve at the time, and after that she'd spent the next four years bounced from foster home to foster home. It was something she'd never told even Becker.

All she could do was sit there and cradle Elise as she cried.

"I hate him for this," she mouthed to Becker over Elise's shoulder, her eyes flashing with anger.

"I know, I'm sorry, Jess," he mouthed back.

* * *

Over the next few days Becker and Jess both found themselves growing incredibly attached to Elise. She was an incredible little girl, and an amazing artist. Painting and looking at the stars were her two favorite things in the world.

Jess sat on the bed while Elise painted, Becker had gone after coffee for them, she watched her tedious brush strokes fascinated at the level of talent the girl showed at five.

"You're an amazing artist." Jess said after a few minutes.

Elise smiled up at her, "Momma taught me."

Jess could see her eyes begin to brim with tears again, and took the brush from her hugging her close.

"I'm sorry I'm not your momma or Xavier, but I already love you like you were my own." she said quietly, kissing the girls head.

Elise fell asleep quickly after that, and truthfully Jess wasn't sure if she'd finally cried herself out or if it was from the pain medicine the doctor had given her. She tucked Elise in and raised the rails on both sides of the bed so she wouldn't fall.

After that, she walked into the small adjoined bathroom and sank to the floor, sobbing. She'd been trying so hard to hold it together, but she'd finally reached her breaking point, she was overwhelmed, she'd been thrown into motherhood and back into memories of a past that she'd spent years trying to put behind her.

She hadn't even realized Becker had come back until he was knelt in front of her, clutching her to him tightly and stroking her hair.

"I'm here, it's alright," he murmured, kissing her hair.

The only thing she could do was cling to him, she didn't know how long it was until she cried herself out, she pulled back and Becker handed her tissues. She wiped her eyes and nose.

"Sorry about that," she said quietly.

"Jess, you don't have to ever apologize to me," he said, stroking her cheek with his hand, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine, just a little overwhelmed by all of this I guess."

"_Don't ever feel that you're alone. I'll never let you down, I'll never leave you dry. Don't fall apart, don't let it go. Carry the notion, back to me." Feeder_


	3. Chapter 3 Today Was A Fairytale

***Just a fluffy little angst balancer. Top quote Jess' POV, bottom would be Elise's. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3. Today Was A Fairytale**

"_Time slows down, whenever you're around. I can feel my heart, beating in my chest." Taylor Swift_

They'd been at the hospital a little over a week when Elise was finally cleared to leave. Much to everyone's disappointment, she still couldn't walk, and was taking it pretty hard. Jess hurried around the room triple checking to make sure they'd gathered all of Elise's belongings.

They flew back to London the following night, Elise falling asleep soon after they'd taken off. Becker, she noticed was unusually quiet and had been most of the day. She reached over and took his hand in hers.

"Are you alright?" she asked, studying him intently.

"Yeah, I'm great, why?" he replied glancing over at her.

"You've just seemed distant all day."

"Yeah, I've got a lot on my mind I guess…actually there's something I wanted to…ask you." he said hesitantly.

"Anything, what's up?"

"Do you remember how we were talking a couple nights ago, about you finding a new flat, because there was no way you had room for Elise with Connor and Abby already staying with you?"

"Yes…" she remembered it perfectly, Becker had offered to keep Elise at his until she found a place to stay.

"Well, I wanted to ask you something, regarding that."

"Alright, what is it?" she asked curiously.

"Jessica, I love you, you know that right?"

"Of course," she replied, suddenly overcome with a sinking feeling.

He fidgeted nervously, "I was hoping…that you might consider…moving in with me?"

Whatever Jess had been expecting, it hadn't been that. It took her a minute to find her voice.

"I would like that, I'd like that a lot actually." she said smiling over at him.

He leaned over and kissed her gently, cupping her face in his hand. It was the first time since the day she'd received the call from Xavier, that she'd felt truly happy.

* * *

The day after they got back they took Elise sight seeing, which was great fun. Becker had brought his camcorder along, insistent on documenting every second of the trip.

Elise's favorite was the Tower Bridge, Jess took picture upon picture from every angle so she could paint it later. Becker rode her piggy back for the whole excursion, Jess couldn't help smiling as she watched them.

When they got to Buckingham Palace, Elise spent several long moments studying the guards before turning to look at Jess.

"Why don't they smile?" she asked curiously.

"It's part of their training, they're not supposed to." she replied, with a small laugh.

"But they're soldiers right?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't understand, Becker's a soldier and _he_ smiles, why don't they?" she asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

Jess and Becker both laughed at the girls logic, and Jess good swear she saw one of the guards moths upturn at the corner just slightly.

"They're a different kind of soldier than I am, sweetheart." Becker explained.

"Oh because that makes sense," she said sarcastically, "A soldiers job is to protect people, how much can that possibly differ?"

By this point Jess was almost doubled over with laughter, there was never going to be a dull moment with Elise around.

"_No escaping when I start, once I'm in I own your heart." Adam Lambert_


	4. Chapter 4 Nightmares

**Chapter 4. Nightmares**

The next week didn't seem to hold a second of free time for Jess, she was either catching up on back paperwork at the ARC or packing and moving her things to Becker's, and when she wasn't doing one of those, she was spending as much time with Elise as possible.

She was fairly exhausted, and the nightmares weren't helping matters. She'd suffered the nightmares when she was younger, after her mother had been killed in the car crash. Alone, she was always alone in them, alone and in danger. They'd stopped up until recently, up until the past had been brought back to the surface.

Jess sat the pen she was holding down on her desk and rested her head in her hands.

"Jess? Are you okay?" Becker's voice came from the doorway.

She looked up to find he was already moving toward her.

"I'm fine," she said with a smile, doing her best to reassure him, "Just a little tired."

"Why don't you go home and get some rest?" he said gently stroking her face, "Connor can handle the ADD for today."

"I appreciate it, but I don't want to get anymore behind than I already am."

**Becker**

Becker worked over the EMD's, charging them and checking to make sure they weren't damaged or anything. Truthfully, it wasn't something that really _needed_ to be done, but it kept him occupied, which _was _something he needed.

He was desperately worried about Jess, and had been ever since he'd found her crying in the hospital bathroom. She'd said she was just overwhelmed, but he knew better, he _knew _Jess better, she handled stressful situations better than anyone.

There was something she wasn't telling him, something he was pretty sure had to do with her brother, or her family, two things she never mentioned. He refused to ask her about it, as worried as he was, if she wanted him to know, she would tell him.

He pulled out his phone and dialed the number to the woman who lived across the hall from him, she'd been kind enough to volunteer to watch Elise while he and Jess were at work.

"Hello, Mrs. Robinson, it's Becker, I just wanted to call and check on Elise."

He listened as she went on about the adorable things Elise had done so far, and what a pleasure she was to have around.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, before finally hanging up.

At the end of the day he headed to Jess' office to see if she was ready to go, only to find her asleep on the sofa. He knelt down and gently nudged her awake. Her eyes flew open and she woke shaking violently. He quickly enfolded her in his arms and held her close.

"It's alright, it was just a bad dream," he murmured, "You're fine now."

She held on to him as if her life depended on it, and he rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair soothingly.

"I'm sorry," she muttered pulling away.

"How many times do I have to tell you Jessica, you _never_ have to apologize to me." he said gently.

She sighed softly, "I just wished these damn dreams would stop!"

Becker's brow furrowed slightly in confusion, he hadn't been aware she'd been plagued by nightmares before now.

"Nightmares? Jess, why didn't you tell me sooner."

She glanced away from him, "I didn't want to worry you." she said quietly.

He sat down on the couch beside her taking her hand, "Jess, you can talk to me about anything, you know that, right?"

"I know I can, right now though, can we just go get Elise and go home?" she asked, rising to her feet.

"Of course," he replied, putting an arm around her.

**Jess**

Jess sat on the bed, listening to the sound of Becker moving around the living room, checking the locks before they settled in for the night. Elise had finally drifted off to sleep and Jess had decided it was time to tell Becker…well everything.

She hadn't even realized he'd entered the room, until the bed shifted and his arms were around her. She leaned into his embrace.

"I think there's some things I should tell you about why this has been so hard on me… about my past." she said quietly.

"Are you sure you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

She laughed hollowly, "No, but I am sure I don't want to _keep_ it from you, so I'm going to…"

She took a deep breath and shifted her position to where she was facing him.

"I'll never understand how Xavier could abandon Elise the way he did, never in my life, because when I was six…our father abandoned us and it destroyed our family. My mom and Xavier argued all the time and three years later he moved out and we didn't hear from him again. After Xay left my mom turned to drinking and then one day I got home from school…and the police were there, mom had been driving drunk and rolled her car, I was twelve at that point…" her voice broke slightly.

Becker's arms were around her instantly, cradling her to him as the tears began to fall.

"I…spent the…next four years…bounced from foster family to foster family. The nightmares started just after my mom died…I'm always alone in them…alone and in trouble. They stopped after about a year and then when this happened…when everything resurfaced…"

Becker kissed the top of her head, "That's never going to happen, I'll always protect you, and I'll always be here. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," he murmured, repositioning them to where they were laying, her head resting on his chest.


	5. Chapter 5 Can You Feel This?

****-Ducks from flying objects- I apologize for the wait on this chapter, but I'm currently writing three fics so I've got a bit of a balancing act going. This is just a happy little filler chapter, the next will be longer :)**

**Chapter 5. Can You Feel This?**

When Jess woke up she was wrapped securely in Becker's arms, she smiled realizing the night had been nightmare free. She wrapped her arms tighter around his waist, drawing patterns on his chest with her fingers.

"Good morning Jessica," he said softly.

She smiled up at him, "Morning,"

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers gently, she rolled over on top of him, and the kiss deepened rapidly. His fingers ran along her spine underneath the shirt, leaving a trail of fire on her skin.

"Jess! Jess!," Elise's yell from the next room caused them to break apart and Jess hurried to her feet and slipped a robe on over her pajamas, straightening the top as she hurried across the hall.

Elise was sitting up on the bed, eyes wide, staring down at where her legs rested on top of the blankets.

"What is it Elise? What's wrong?" Jess asked worriedly.

She looked up at Jess, eyes still wide, "It…it moved!"

"Your leg?" she asked excitedly.

Elise shook her head, "No, but my toe did!"

Jess laughed happily, "Can you move it again?"

She stared down at her foot with utter concentration, Jess watched as her big toe moved up slightly and then back down.

"Did you see that!"

"I sure did!" she cried, hugging Elise, just as Becker entered the room, in jeans and a black tank top, camcorder in hand.

"Hey soldier boy, watch this!" Elise said, moving her toe again.

"You moved it!" Becker exclaimed, handing the camcorder to Jess as he hugged Elise.

Jess was careful to make sure she kept the camera trained on Elise and Becker as it exchanged hands, not wanting to miss a minute of the exchange.

"Oh and Elise," Becker said pulling away, his tone mock serious "Don't ever call me soldier boy again."

Elise grinned, "Course not, soldier boy."

Becker scowled playfully at her, tickling her knee, and Elise giggled.

"You felt that!" Becker and Jess asked excitedly at the same time.

"I felt it!" she exclaimed happily.

Jess lunged herself into Becker's arms in excitement and he picked her up and spun her around, causing her to giggle before he sat her back on the ground.

_Finally, _Jess thought, Elise had needed some good news.

Becker walked over to Elise's bed and held out his arms, "Want to try and see if you can stand up?"

She shook her head excitedly, and clambered into his outstretched arms. Jess stood against the wall, watching nervously as Becker sat her feet on the ground. Her knees buckled at first, but Becker easily straightened her back out, holding his arms underneath hers.

"I can feel the floor, but I can't move my legs," she said, looking between him and Jess.

"It's okay, you'll get there," Jess assured her.

"I hope it's soon, and when I do can we find a playground to go to?" she asked, eyes pleading.

Jess laughed, "Of course whatever you want!"

"I'm going to try something, but don't worry, I promise I won't let you fall." Becker said, easily sliding his arms out from under Elise's to where she was standing without support.

Her legs wobbled slightly, but she stayed upright.

"I think I need to sit down now, my legs are all jiggly feeling," she said looking up at Becker, who immediately lifted her off the ground and sat her down on the bed.

Jess shut off the camcorder and smiled, "You did great Elise!"


	6. Chapter 6 Making Friends

****Dedicated to for the idea and her awesome reviews. Lexi will be mentioned more in later chapters, this is mainly just to put down the foundation for my newest plot bunny**

**Chapter 6. Making Friends**

Jess sat behind Elise brushing her wavy brown hair, she'd spent the last week planning a little excursion that she hoped would cheer Elise up some.

They were going to a facility that took in disabled kids who always went unnoticed in the foster care system. Some of them suffered from physical disabilities like Elise, who since regaining feeling a week ago, could stand on her own for short periods of time and take a couple steps, but was still mostly immobilized. Others suffered from mild mental ailments such as autism.

She put Elise in her favorite dress, white with little blue dragonflies on it and was putting on her little white shoes when Becker came in.

"Almost ready?" he asked.

"We are ready, actually," Jess said with a smile, rising from the kneeling position she'd been in putting the shoes on.

Elise clapped her hands excitedly as Becker lifted her up off the bed to carry her to the car.

They got to the center and were halfway across the parking lot when Elise's voice beckoned them to stop. Jess glanced up at where Elise was situated on Becker's shoulders.

"What is it sweetie?" she asked concerned.

"What if they don't like me?"

Becker easily lifted her off his shoulders and sat her down on the pavement, crouching to where he was eye level with her.

"They are going to adore you," he assured her, "It's impossible not two, you're pretty, smart, funny, you're a great kid Elise."

"You think so?" she asked, eyes bright.

"No, I don't, I know so," he said smiling at her reassuringly.

She smiled back, that wide, bright smile that was Elise and reached her arms back out to Becker, who repositioned her on his shoulders before they headed inside.

A lady seated in the small lobby looked up as they entered, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, my names Jessica Parker, I spoke with someone earlier in the week about bringing my niece in to visit with the other kids."

The woman began flipping through a log, before smiling back at Jess, "Elise?" she asked.

"Yes, that's her."

"She's adorable," the lady gushed, "Right this way, please,"

They were led down several corridors, the woman pointing out certain rooms on the way and explaining there functions, before they were led into a wide room, children seated on the floor engaged in different activities.

"This is the Rec Room, where a lot of the kids come to play during there breaks, others stay in their rooms." she explained.

Becker lifted Elise off his shoulders and sat her down on the ground.

"You okay?" he asked, keeping his hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"Fine, don't be such a worry wart!" she chided playfully as the woman called to the kids for attention.

"Everyone we have a visitor with us today, this is Elise, Ms. Parker and…"

"Becker," he inputted quickly.

"And Becker," she finished, "I expect you all to be welcoming," she said before retreating from the room.

A woman sat in the back corner at a small desk supervising and smiled welcomingly at them.

"Excuse me?" Jess glanced behind her to see a girl, probably around eight standing there.

"Hi!" Jess said brightly.

The girl shied away slightly at her bright greeting.

"Umm…hi…I'm Lexi…I was wondering if she might like to come draw with me?" the girl asked quietly, gesturing to Elise.

"Can I? Please!" Elise begged.

"Of course, that's why we're here!" Jess replied.

She and Becker watched as Elise walked carefully after the little girl, her steps slow as she struggled to keep her balance. Becker watched cautiously until she was sitting at the small table with the little girl. Jess smiled as the two began talking animatedly and leaned into Becker's shoulder happily, he put an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

They finally tore themselves from watching the two and walked over to the lady at the desk.

"Ms. Parker, it's nice to meet you in person, I'm Diane, we spoke on the phone." she said extending a hand, which both Jess and Becker shook.

"It's nice to meet you too, thank you so much for letting us do this."

"Of course, we're happy to have you here anytime, and I'm surprised Lexi seems to have taken to her so well, she's normaly very withdrawn."

"What's wrong with her?" Becker asked quietly.

"Lexi suffers from autism, and her parents couldn't or didn't want to deal with it, so they put her up for adoption."

"Poor girl," Jess sympathized, turning to watch the two again.

When it was finally time for them to leave, Elise was bouncing with excitement from the day.

"We can come back so I can visit Lexi, right!"

Jess laughed, "Of course, soon, I promise."


	7. Chapter 7 Life Worth Living

Jess looked over at Becker worriedly when Lester called them into his office a couple days later.

They entered, Becker closing the door and leaning against the wall, Jess taking a seat across from Lester's desk.

"I do normally try not to get involved in my employee's personal lives, but you two have been acting…distant since your little unexplained expedition to America, and I need to make sure that isn't going to effect your job performance."

Jess tensed slightly, only relaxing when Becker came up behind her and squeezed her shoulders. She felt some of the tension drain from her body under his touch.

"Sir, I should have explained this all to you sooner, when Becker and I went to America it was because my sister-in-law had been killed in a car accident, my brother isn't in a state to care for his daughter, who is partially paralyzed, and she's in my and Becker's care now, but Lester that won't effect my or Becker's ability to do this job." she told him.

"And you didn't feel the need to inform me of this, why?" Lester drawled.

"Honestly sir, we didn't think you'd care." Becker stated bluntly.

"Well I wouldn't but your healthcare forms and such will have to be updated now that you've adopted her and all."

"Not adopted, not legally anyways," Jess explained.

"Well that's…problematic, if she's in your care permanently, legally you need to adopt her, and I can't get her on your health care policy if you don't."

"Right, I just don't want to do anything to upset her right now." Jess said quietly.

"Yes, well just keep it in mind and let me know what you're doing when you decide."

**Becker**

Becker sat in his office filling out reports, it had been two hours since the meeting with Lester, a meeting which had got him thinking a lot.

Truthfully, since they'd taken Elise in, he'd been doing a lot of thinking. Watching Jess with Elise, having Elise in the house, had made him realize just how much he wanted a family.

He stood up and headed to the guard post, "Johnson, I'm going out for awhile, if anything comes up, call my mobile."

By the time he got to his truck, he was already questioning his decision. Well, not really his decision, more like if it was the right time, he knew he wanted this more than anything.

He pulled up in front of the small strip mall downtown, _here goes nothing,_ he thought wryly, walking towards the building. He entered the end store and was immediately greeted by an overly eager saleslady.

"How can I help you sir?" she asked crossing the small store towards him, a wide smile pasted to her lips, as she glanced him up and down.

He had to stifle the urge to roll his eyes, "I'm looking for an engagement ring," he said.

The woman's smile faltered slightly, "Of course, right this way," she said leading him over to a case, "Any idea what you're looking for, diamond shape? Band color?"

"Not really, something incredibly unique, like Jess." he said, scanning the cases.

The salesladies idea of unique and his, it turned out, differed greatly, she showed him nothing that even remotely fit his idea of _unique_. She finally produced a large tray of rings from under the counter, instead of just showing them to him one by one. His eye immediately fell on one that was definitely unique and he felt expensive, but it didn't matter it was perfect.

He pulled the platinum band out of the tray, it was inlaid with diamonds and the top opened up in layers like leaves to reveal a single round diamond.

"This one," he said, not even bothering with the price and pulling out a credit card.

He would manage that later, right now the only thing he cared about was making that night perfect. As he left the store he slipped the box in his jacket pocket, where it would stay until that night, when he asked her to spend forever with him.

Jessica Parker made his life worth living.


	8. Chapter 8 Baby Just Say Yes

_"It's a love story, baby just say yes." Taylor Swift_

Becker knew Jess would want to be home at their normal time that night in order to spend time with Elise, meaning he needed to get both him and her out of the ARC early.

He walked to Matt's office and knocked on the door.

"Come on in!" his thick Irish accent called back.

Becker entered the office, "Matt, I need to ask a favor."

Matt looked up, eyes narrowed, "Should I be frightened, Captain Becker?" he half joked.

"Can you get Connor to cover the ADD for about two hours at the end of the day so Jess and I can take off early?"

"Do you have good reason behind this request?" Matt asked.

Becker sighed and pulled out the ring box, pushing it across the table to Matt "Good enough for you?"

Matt opened the box and let out a low whistle, "That's some diamond. Yeah, consider yourselves covered for."

"Thank you," Becker said, pocketing the ring, turning and heading out of the office.

"And Becker," Matt's voice halted him, "Good luck, man."

"Thanks," Becker said.

**Jess**

Jess glanced at the clock on the computer, it was just after three, she sighed, four more hours before her shift was over.

She leaned back in her chair, rolling her stiff shoulders, to get the cramp she had, out of her muscles. Just then Connor bounded up, grabbing her arm and hauling her out of her chair.

"Connor, what are you doing?" she laughed.

"Giving you the rest of the day off, I'll take care of things here," he explained quickly, pushing her towards the door.

Jess raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure?" she said heading to a different terminal to clock out, she had no idea what was going on but she wasn't going to argue.

"Positive," he said winking at her.

"Thank you!" she said clocking and heading out to the car.

She was surprised to find Becker leaning against it waiting for her. He wrapped his arms around her as soon as she reached him and kissed her deeply, turning her to where her back was against the car.

"Hello to you too," she said breathless, smiling up at him, "My day just keeps getting better!"

"Yeah, well I thought you could use a break," he said, kissing her again, before opening the passenger side door.

She slid in and leaned back against the seat contentedly.

**Becker**

It was a complete accident that Becker had stumbled on the place he was taking Jess. He'd been running off his normal trail and ran straight into a small clearing with a small stream running through it.

He parked in the lot closest to the trail and went around to the trunk pulling out a picnic basket and Jess' tennis shoes. She came around and he handed them to her, "You're going to want to wear these,"

"Alright…' she said looking confused, but obliging and changing shoes.

He took her hand in his and led her onto the trail, finding the right spot he led her on a brief stint through the woods and to the clearing.

She looked around, smiling, "Wow, this place is beautiful!"

"I thought you'd like it" he said, pulling a blanket from the basket and spreading it on the ground.

Jess slipped her shoes off and came over to him, and he sat down and pulled her down against his chest as he unpacked the picnic basket.

"This is nice," Jess said smiling up at him as they ate.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," he said, kissing the top of her head.

They finished eating and Jess helped him pack the containers into the basket again, before leaning back against him.

"So, I actually brought you here for another reason…"

She looked up, waiting for him to continue and he repositioned her so they were facing.

"Jess, you know that I love you more than anything, right?" he started.

"Of course," she said, smiling.

"Since the day we met I knew I wanted you in my life, and since you and Elise have moved in…I can't imagine a day without the two of you there, I can't imagine not waking up next to you in the mornings," he was rambling, _get back on track_, he ordered himself, "What I'm trying to say is…" he pulled the box from his jacket pocket and opened it, "Jessica Parker, you are the most important thing to me now, the most important thing to me ever, will you marry me?"

Her eyes widened and her face lit up, "Yes, of course!"

He pulled the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger, before kissing her deeply.

"I love you Jess."


	9. Chapter 9 A Family

****Dedicated to Esmerelda Diana Parker for her awesome reviews, they make my day :D Also, Lexi appears in the next chapter, but don't worry Eli's back in this one**

**Chapter 9. A Family**

Jess hadn't stopped smiling since Becker proposed, they got Elise from Becker's neighbor and then went next door to their own flat.

"Elise, mind sitting on the couch? We have some news for you," Becker said, actually part of this would be news for Jess as well.

She bounced over to the couch and sat down, Jess following suit and sitting beside her, as Becker sat down across from them on the coffee table.

"First off, Jess and I have a little bit of news…" he glanced over at Jess, knowing she'd want to be the one to tell her.

"We're getting married!" she exclaimed happily.

Elise's eyes got wide and traveled to Jess' hand, "Ohh, it's so pretty!" she said examining the ring, before hugging her then Becker, "That's great news! So…are you going to be my new mommy and daddy now?" she asked looking confused.

"Actually, that was the next thing I wanted to talk to you about," Becker said, taking a deep breath.

Jess looked up, as confused as Elise now.

"Elise, first I want to say we would never try to replace your parents, we know they were important to you, but you're important to us too, and we want to give you a family again, if you'd like."

Elise's expression went from sadness to shock to elation, Jess just met Becker's eyes smiling brightly. This was what she'd always wanted, a family. Becker smiled back and took her hands, squeezing them tightly.

"You really wanna do that, be my new family?" she asked hesitantly.

"More than anything Eli, we'd love nothing more than to adopt you, part of that process would mean changing your last name to Becker though, would you be okay with that?"

"Yeah…wait your name is Becker Becker?" she asked brow furrowed.

Jess dissolved into a fit of giggles and Becker sat silently for several seconds.

"No, its just I prefer being called by last name…"

"Why? What's your first name?"

"That's not important." Becker said firmly.

"I knew daddy's first name, and I know both my mommy's first names, why can't I know yours?" she asked.

"If you repeat it to anyone…Hilary, my first name is Hilary."

Elise giggled, "Ittle bittle soldier's named after a girl!"

Becker growled at her playfully, causing both Elise and Jess to giggle harder.

**Four Hours Later**

Jess and Becker had just gotten Elise to sleep, taking turns reading stories to her as they always did. Jess was happy, happier than she'd ever been, as they left the room she flipped the light off and turned to Becker in the hallway taking both his hands in hers.

The hall was dark but she could still make out his warm brown eyes locked on hers.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too Jessica Parker," he said quietly, before leaning down and kissing her deeply.

She let go of his hands and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back passionately. Suddenly she was off her feet and being carried into the bedroom, Becker never once breaking the kiss.

"_Oh, what if this could be a real love." Colbie Callait_


	10. Chapter 10 Where's The Justice In That?

**Lexi- .com/lobby/bios/hayden_**

**Chapter 10: Where's The Justice In That?**

When Jess woke up, the first thing she did was look down at her hand where it rested on Becker's chest. She could see the diamond of the ring glittering faintly in the sunlight that streamed through the curtains.

_Jessica Becker, _a small smile played at her lips at that thought. She glanced at the clock and realized she was also behind schedule, she shook Becker gently.

"Mmm, what's wrong?" he asked blinking groggily.

"We've got to get ready, it's Elise's day to see Lexi," she said.

"Right," he said, looking more coherent.

Jess climbed out of bed, and began digging for something to wear. She finally pulled a short sleeved red dress from the closet and disappeared into the bathroom to grab a shower. By the time she got out and dressed, Becker had disappeared from the bedroom. Going out into the hall, she heard him rattling around in the kitchen, as Elise talked excitedly.

"Morning sunshine!" she said coming up and giving Elise a hug.

"Good morning, almost mommy!" Elise said happily.

Jess smiled as Becker came over with a large plate of pancakes, Elise's favorite, and set them in the middle of the table before leaning down and giving Jess a quick kiss. _Almost mommy, almost Mrs. Becker, _how had she gotten so lucky?

When they got to the center, Elise took off at a dead run inside, Becker and Jess following after, hand in hand. They found Lexi and the other kids in the rec room as usual and Elise hurried over.

"Lexi! Lexi! Guess what!" she cried excitedly.

"Elise!" she cried, running over and hugging her, "What is it?"

Diane was supervising again and walked over to Jess and Becker.

"I've never seen Lexi take to anyone like she has your Elise, she's normally very socially awkward because of the Autism."

"How long has she been here?" Jess asked quietly.

"She's seven now, she was brought in at 18 months, so five and a half years," Diane replied.

"And no one's adopted her?" Becker asked, looking shocked.

"No, it's never easy getting kids here adopted out, most people, when they go to adopt, don't want children with impairments, whether that impairment be physical or mental, autism especially makes them reluctant, because of the special care you have to take with them."

Jess watched Lexi sadly, "She can't help the hand she was dealt," she murmured, "None of them can. Doesn't she have family that could take her?"

"None that are willing," Diane replied.

Jess shook her head and sighed, "I'll never understand it…" she muttered before turning to Becker, "Can you stay and watch Eli, I need to go make a phone call."

"Of course," he replied, looking concerned.

"I'll be right back, I'm sorry," she said to Diane, before shooting Becker a small smile and hurrying out.

She had the number dialed before she'd even gotten outside, sitting down on a bench she waited for an answer or voicemail. She got the latter.

"Xavier, it's Jess, since you haven't bothered calling I thought I'd call and let you know how Elise was doing, you know the daughter you abandoned? You remember Eli right? Call me Xavier."

She flipped the phone shut and closed her eyes briefly, it hadn't been Elise's fault she got paralyzed, it wasn't Lexi's fault she was autistic, yet they'd both been abandoned by the people they needed most, where the hell was the justice in that?


	11. Chapter 11 Unknown Dangers

**Chapter 11. Unknown Dangers**

It was almost a week later when Xavier finally called back. He was unlucky enough to do so at a time when Jess was in the shower and Becker answered the phone.

"Jess' phone," he answered.

"Is this Becker?"

"Yes…who is this?"

"Xavier, I was returning Jess' call."

Becker's eyes narrowed, "About time,"

"How's Elise?" he asked.

"Like you care," he spat, his temper getting the best of him.

"Of course I care! She's my daughter, I'd just lost my wife, I needed some time to get myself back together so I could be a good father to her." he retorted angrily.

"And she'd lost her mother, did you really think she needed to lose you too?" he bit back.

"Becker, what's going on? Who is that?" Jess asked, having just come out of the bathroom, wrapped in a fluffy robe and still toweling her hair.

"With all due respect, it's not your place to decide what my family does and doesn't need," he replied.

"You made it my place when you abandoned her, and turned my fiancé's life upside down."

"I thought you were just her boyfriend…and I knew Jess could handle it, she's always been strong."

"First off, /were/ is the keyword, second of all, Jessica is nineteen, did you ever think that maybe she wasn't ready for a family, did you think _at all_?" he yelled into the phone.

At some point Jess had come over and wrapped her arms around his waist reassuringly, taking his hand and kissing his fingers gently. He leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Look, I screwed up, I want to make this right…" he sighed, "Is Jess there?"

"Hold on a minute," he replied, taking the phone from his ear and covering the mouthpiece.

"It's Xa…" he didn't even finish before Jess had the phone out of his hand, a fierce anger blazing in her eyes.

**Jess**

"Well, well, well, look who decided to give a damn," she greeted him.

"Oh, come on, not you too Jessica," he sighed.

"I'm sorry, were you expecting something nicer?" she asked, her voice sarcastic and flippant.

"Jessica, I messed up, I know that, but you of all people should get this, you saw what losing dad did to mom…"

"Yeah, it destroyed our family, that's why I will _never _understand how you could walk out on your daughter!"

"It's more complicated than that, I was…in trouble…and my being near Elise, put her in danger, it's what got her shot, what got Chantelle killed."

She stood silent for a moment, gaping at the phone in shock.

"What kind of _trouble?_" she asked, causing Becker's attention to snap back toward the conversation.

Jess motioned for Becker to remain silent and subtly flipped the phone to speaker.

"The kind where I owe some not so nice people a very large sum of money," he spoke quietly, "And said not so nice people, are using people close to me to send messages until I pay."

"Do these _people _know where Elise is?" Becker asked, his voice eerily calm.

"They didn't, but that's changed, I got a text message this morning…"

"What did it say?"

"Your daughter seems happy with Jessica and the soldier, get us our money by the end of the week if you want to keep it that way."

Jess saw something in Becker's eyes, she hadn't before, fear. He moved back to Jess' side, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her to him tightly.

"How much money are we talking?" Becker asked.

"In American dollars, two hundred and fifty thousand," he responded, his voice almost a whisper.

"What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Xavier?" Jess asked.

"Gambling debts, drugs, like I said, I screwed up."

Becker picked the phone up off the table, "I'll keep Jess and Elise safe, but you stay away from them," he said fiercely, before hanging up.

He slammed the phone down on the table and then turned, taking Jess in his arms, holding her to him tightly.

"I will keep you and Elise safe."


	12. Chapter 12 Dare You To Move

**Chapter 12. Dare You To Move**

When Becker woke up the next morning, he took comfort in the feel of Jess in his arms. After the previous nights revelations from Xavier, he was terrified of losing her.

He very rarely admitted something scared him, but the idea that there was an unknown person out there with the ability to harm Jessica and Elise, that did it. He turned over, pulling Jess closer to him and burying his face in her hair.

Apparently his actions had woken her, because her arms snaked up and wrapped around his neck.

"Good Morning," he said, planting a kiss on top of her head.

She tilted her head up, meeting his eyes, "I love you," she murmured.

"I love you too, Jessica," he replied, running a hand down her cheek.

Her eyes closed under his touch and she shivered slightly, before turning her face into his hand and kissing his palm.

It still amazed him how his body reacted to even the smallest of her touches. He tilted her face up and caught her lips against his, kissing her deeply, he slid his hand under her shirt tracing her spine with his fingers.

"We have work," she murmured, half coherently against his lips.

"Your point?" he asked, moving his lips down her neck.

"No idea anymore," she mused, before letting out a gasp as his teeth playfully grazed the sensitive area above her collarbone.

"Are you lovebirds coming out of there today?" Elise's voice came from the other side of the door, causing Jess to collapse into a fit of giggles.

"We'll be right there Eli," Becker called, as they pulled themselves off the bed and got dressed.

They went out into the hall and saw Elise seated on the couch watching cartoons, but she got up on her knees peering at them over the back of the couch as they came into the room.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," she teased, grinning, before tilting her head.

"What is it Elise?" Jess asked.

"We don't have a cat…so it doesn't make sense to say look what the cat dragged in…humph," she said, turning back to her cartoons.

Becker and Jess headed into the kitchen to start breakfast, both laughing softly,

"We should get her a kitty," Jess said.

"She'd like that, we'll take her Saturday."

**Jess**

Jess poked her head into Becker's office to let him know she was heading out to run a couple errands for Lester and pick them up some Chinese, only to find him deep in conversation with a couple of his men.

She headed out, leaving word with one of Becker's other men to tell him, she'd be back soon and headed to the parking garage. Reaching the car she fumbled for her keys, having difficulty finding them in her purse in the darkness of the garage.

A piercing pain suddenly shot through the back of her head and everything went black.

**Becker**

Becker sat in his office, finished with the days work, he was now sorting through emails. He clicked on one from a sender he didn't recognize. The email contained two sentences and an attachment.

_Photos don't do her justice, your fiancé is a pretty little thing. Tell your future brother in law to pay up, it would be a shame to have to kill her too. _

He pulled out his phone and called Jess,

"Hi! You've reached Jess, sorry…" he flipped the phone shut before the message could finish.

Becker opened the attachment, his hands shaking, and then his worse nightmares came true.

_"I dare you to move, like today never happened before." Switchfoot_


	13. Chapter 13 Until My Blood Runs Cold

**Chapter 13. Until My Blood Runs Cold**

Becker reached for the first thing in his reach, his mobile, and threw it against the wall, the device shattering on impact.

He looked back at the photo on his computer screen, Jessica bound and gagged, tied to a chair. When he found this son of a bitch, he would regret it.

"Is everything okay in here?" Abby asked, poking her head in.

Becker quickly brought a screen up over the email and turned to Abby, "Sorry if I startled you, my phone and I had a disagreement," he said motioning to the remains on the floor.

"I'm not even going to ask what the phone did," she laughed.

He glared over at her, not really caring about the fact that she had no way of knowing the last thing he needed was her joking around.

"Okay, someone's in a bad mood," she said, rolling her eyes and walking out of the office.

He flipped the screen back to the email and stared at the picture, wishing he hadn't destroyed his mobile as he needed to get in touch with Xavier and wanted to call and check in on Elise. He picked up the office phone, something he never used, but it was a private line so it was safe enough, the first person he called was the neighbor to check in on Elise, something he rarely did now that she could walk and everything again.

Once he was assured Elise was fine, he dialed Xavier's number. He was honestly surprised when Xavier picked up.

"Hello,"

"You better be glad you answered, idiot," Becker seethed.

"Becker?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm calling from an office phone, something about getting an email with a picture of my fiancé bound to a chair and gagged had me upset enough to throw it into a wall."

"Wh-What? They kidnapped her?"

"Ten points to the idiot. Tell me everything about this guy." he snapped.

"His name is Delano Greene, or at least that's what he said it was, it could be an alias… he's Hispanic, very mysterious about everything, so that's all I really know."

Becker hung up the phone and immediately logged into the military database, searching Delano Greene in reference to aliases and real names in the international database.

_I will keep you and Elise safe, _his words to Jess after Xavier's phone call rang in his mind as he searched for information on Delano. He'd done a _great_ job with that. The next two hours he spent searching were pure torture, the guy had a wrap sheet a mile long, but no contact information.

A knock on the door to his office startled him slightly, "Come in!" he called.

One of his men came in and lay a brown envelope on his desk, "This was just delivered for you, sir," the soldier said before leaving the room.

He opened it and found a disposable cell phone inside, one number preprogrammed, and called it without a second thought.

"Captain Becker, how nice of you to call," Delano answered.

"She better be okay," Becker replied fiercely.

"Oh, lovely little Jessica is fine, for now, did you get in touch with the brother?"

"I did, he doesn't have the money."

"I figured, he's become a bit of a nuisance." Delano sighed, "So here is my new offer, you take care of my problem and I let your fiancé go with no harm done."

"What do you mean by take care of?" he asked, playing stupid to stall for time.

"Let's not play dumb Captain, it's annoying," he said.

Then a sound filled Becker's ears that made his blood run cold, Jess' scream pierced the line.

"That was Jess' left ankle being broken, now have I made my point?"

"Becker, don't!" he heard Jess sob in the background, followed by another piercing scream.

"You people really need to learn not to annoy me, and that was her right ankle, by the way."

"Don't lay another hand on her!" Becker spat.

"Or you'll what? Do we have an agreement or not Captain?"

"Yes." Becker said, "We do."

"Good, call me when your part is finished."


	14. Chapter 14 Save Me Now

**Chapter 14. Save Me Now**

"Thank you for being an idiot," Becker said, looking at the computer screen, as he hung up the phone.

He printed the coordinates from the trace and took off out the door, not notifying anyone of his departure, because he didn't want to raise questions. He programmed the address into the GPS and peeled out the garage, a AK47 beside him in the seat.

The sounds of Jess' screams still filled his ears, causing him to go faster. He pulled up in front of an abandoned warehouse and got out, AK47 raised in front of him. He slipped in silently, and spotted Jess pleading with the guy. The guy hadn't seen Becker yet, Becker raised the rifle and aimed at the back of the guy's head.

The guy was pacing, making it impossible for Becker to get a shot. Alright, new plan, he thought.

"Delano!" Becker called, causing Delano to turn and Jess' head to snap up.

What he saw when she looked up, made his heart stop. Her face had a cut going down one cheek and she had a black eye.

"Well, well, well, Captain Becker."

"Delano," he said coldly, "Untie Jess and let her come to me."

He laughed, the sound cold and cruel, "And why would I do that?"

"Because if you don't, I'll shoot you where you stand."

"And if I do hand her over?"

"I'll leave you for the authorities to handle," he replied.

Becker was lying, the guy had hurt Jess, he would die, slowly, if Becker had his way about it.

"So, how's Elise?" Delano asked.

"Fine," Becker replied coolly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he answered, he was tired of the guys games, and did something he hadn't planned in that moment, he raised the gun and took the headshot.

A momentary look of shock passed over his features before he fell to the ground in front of Jess, who was sobbing hysterically.

Becker lay the gun down and hurried over, crouching in front of her, he kissed every inch of her face gently.

"I'm sorry, Jessica, I'm so, so sorry," he said untying her.

"It's not your fault," she whispered, "Can we please, just go home?"

"I need to get you to the hospital, have your ankles and face looked at," he said softly, lifting her up into his arms.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. He situated her as gently as possible in the seat, before getting in the drivers side and speeding toward the hospital.

"What are we going to tell them?"

"The truth," Becker said, glancing over briefly, "You were attacked and I killed the guy in self defense. I have proof, if your injuries aren't enough."

She nodded weakly, "Elise, you're sure she's okay?"

Becker picked his phone up and hit the speaker button before dialing his neighbor's number.

"Mrs. Roberts, I'm sorry to bother you again, but is there anyway you could put Elise on the phone?"

"Of course, and no bother at all Hilary." she said.

A couple seconds later Elise's voice came on the hand.

"Hi, ittle bittle soldier."

Jess giggled, and after everything that had happened, Becker was pretty sure it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.

"Jess, Jess!" she exclaimed, before pausing, "Is everything okay, yous never call during the day, like this."

"It's fine, angel," Jess said, her voice calm, "I just wanted to call and say hi."

Becker glanced at her and could tell it was taking everything she had to keep it that way. He reached over and placed a hand comfortingly over hers.

"You sound funny," she, the ever observant, replied.

"We're driving Eli, that's probably why," Becker said quickly.

"Oh okay," she said, "Can I go, since you said hi? Bugs Bunny is on!"

"Of course sweetie," Jess said, smiling weakly.

"Bye!" she said before hanging up.

Jess leaned back against her seat and sighed in relief, she went to rub her hands over her face, but winced as soon as they made contact.

"I should have stopped him sooner," Becker said solemnly, "I'm so sorry."

"Becker, please stop apologizing, had it not been for you, I would have died."

_"I need a hero to save me, just in time." Skillet_


	15. Chapter 15 In Your Arms

"I could have used the crutches," Jess said, unable to contain the smile on her face.

"Are you telling me you would have preferred them?" he asked, shifting her weight slightly to open the door.

She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, "Definitely not," she said, kissing him gently.

The doctor at the hospital had said one ankle was broken, the other fractured in three places. She'd opted crutches over a wheelchair, but hadn't actually used them, seeing as per hospital protocol, she'd been wheeled to the car and then once they'd gotten home, Becker had insisted on carrying her inside.

She wasn't complaining, she loved the feeling of being secured in Becker's arms. She moved her face to the crook of his neck and began kissing it gently.

"You're going to be the death of me," he muttered, kicking the door shut.

"Are you complaining, my love?" she asked innocently.

"Only if you stop," he said with a smile.

"So," she asked, moving the kisses up his neck to his jaw line, "When are Connor and Abby bringing Elise home?"

"Well, as late as it is, she was already asleep, so they offered to keep her the night," he said, barely able to form a coherent sentence the way she was kissing him.

"So, we're alone?" she asked kissing the corner of his mouth.

"Mhmm, but Jess, you know we can't…"

"Give me one good reason why not," she purred.

"I'll give you two, your left ankle and your right ankle."

"So, we'll be careful," she said softly.

"Jess if I hurt you, I'd never forgive myself."

She closed her eyes, "Alright fine, but I don't want to hear anything about it being safer if you sleep on the couch or in the armchair."

"Jess…."

She pressed her lips firmly against his to quiet him.

"Please? Becker, I need you tonight, I need to feel safe, and…" she closed her eyes briefly, knowing how lame what she was about to say was going to sound, "And, I won't unless I'm in your arms." she whispered.

"I could never say no to that," he said with a small smile.

**Becker**

He carried her into the bedroom and sat her on the bed, before hurrying over and getting her favorite pair of pajamas out of the dresser and himself a pair of sleep pants. Soon they were laying on the bed, her body curled as close against his as possible, head resting on his chest, while she traced patterns on it with her index finger.

He leaned down and kissed her head, and she tilted her head up slightly and smiled at him. Her smile alone had always been enough to send his heart racing, he'd known he was in trouble the day he met her. He leaned down and kissed her fiercely, she returned it passionately, reaching up and winding a hand through his hair.

"I don't know what I would have done had I lost you," he said once they'd broke apart.

"The important thing is, you didn't."

"I know, but Jessica, I need you to understand something, when I found out you were in danger, my heart stopped. When I heard your screams over the phone, I knew without a doubt, I would end Delano's life. You, Jessica Parker, are the most amazing woman I have ever met, you are the most important thing in my life now, the most important thing in it ever, and I promise you, I will protect you and Elise, until the day I die."

****Ok, so this is the end. Firstly, and foremost I want to thank all my readers and reviewers, you guys are incredible! I honestly did not expect the response to this story I got, and I am so happy with it. Now just a few people I would like to thank specifically. Esmerelda Diana Parker, for always making my day with her fantastic review conversations, and saresare, for pushing me to write this, and threatening me with Ninko when my muse faltered. Lastly but not least, idiot247, who created Elise on our Primeval RP, which was the inspiration for the story :)**


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